There is a little-known truth about judging Jesus’ way that many Christians miss. “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you’” (1 Corinthians 5:12,13). Judging Jesus’ way means focusing on those of us who claim to believe in the God of the Bible instead of on those who don’t.
Jesus lived during the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberias, who worshiped countless Roman gods. In fact, Jesus lived next to the city of Tiberias and walked on the Sea of Tiberias, but his sermons weren’t scathing critiques of Tiberias. Even though Jesus knew that the pagans were lost, blind, and without true faith, his judgment was massively tilted toward those who claimed to believe in the God of Israel.
I wonder if our tendency to focus on the sins of the world instead of the sins of the church is connected to fear. It’s fairly easy to blast “those people” who aren’t in the room. But it’s nail-biting to confront the people who are. The church elder who controls his kids with anger. The small group that gossips all too often. The pastor who thinks a bit too much of himself. Confronting the sins among us scares us.
But Jesus will help. He promised his presence when two or three gather in his name to deal with sin (Matthew 18:20). That means he will be present to help you judge correctly.
